2. Created by C. Rhein Hazelwood Central An Introduction to the Food Chain and the Food Web! Teacher’Teacher’ PagePage Forward

3. Teacher’s Page Map Objective: The learner will be able to understand that there is a unique niche for every species in an ecosystem so that the stability is maintained. This PowerPoint is to be used in conjunction with a science journal. The teacher may use this to start a unit on Ecology. Back

4. Write in the Science Journal! Ecosystem- the interactions among the populations in a community and the community’s physical surroundings. 2 Types of Ecosystems Terrestrial Ecosystems occur on land. Aquatic ecosystems occur in water. Forward Back

5. Every species needs a niche! What’s a niche? Write in the Science Journal: Niche - is the role a species plays in a community. Space, food, and other conditions an organism needs to survive and reproduce are all part of a niche. Let’s Discuss: What role do you think coyotes play in grasslands? Find Answer ForwardBack

6. Coyotes live in the grasslands and keep the populations of rodents, such as prairie dogs, down because they eat them on a regular basis. A prairie dog eats the grass on the grasslands and makes its home in burrows it digs underground. This is its habitat, the place where an organism lives out its life. Let’s Discuss: Forward Back

7. Plants Prairie dog Coyote A pathway that food (ENERGY) takes through an ecosystem! The arrow goes in the direction of energy transfer! In a Grassland! Forward Back

8. IN THE SCIENCE JOURNAL: CREATE A FOOD CHAIN FROM YOUR COMMUNITY! REMEMBER THE ARROWS GO IN THE DIRECTION OF ENERGY TRANSFER! WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SHARE THEIR FOOD CHAIN WITH THE REST OF THE CLASS? Forward Back

9. You can make a food chain for every different eating relationship in a community. If you connected all of these food chains you would have a FOOD WEB! Click to see the FOOD WEB of a Grassland! Click Here! Back

10. In a Grassland Plant Parts Prairie Dog Coyote Bald Eagle Beetle Snake Reptile Forward Back REMEMBER THE ARROWS POINT TO DIRECTION OF ENERGY TRANSFER!

11. WHAT HAPPENED? In your science journal, write and answer these two questions! Let’s imagine that mankind has destroyed all of the coyotes on the grassland ecosystem! Look back to the food web! 1. Could anything happen to the predators (those that eat the coyote) after the extinction of the coyotes? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER PLEASE! 2. Could anything happen to the prey (those that the coyote eats) after the extinction of the coyotes? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER PLEASE! To the Last Slide Forward Back

12. Something to Think About? 1. What is the coyote’s niche in the grasslands? 2. Why does every species need to have a niche? 3. What could possibly happen to a species if its niche is altered by mankind? (such as destroying trees, building subdivisions, or over-hunting) Back Back 1st Slide!1stSlide